When it opened in 2020, the locals received this open, white-washed restaurant and barred warmly. The restaurant’s sunlit terrace and Spanish archways evoke a Mediterranean taverna. Its seafood-forward menu aids this. Flinders Island scallops are hot and fresh in their shells. They are dipped in bright-green seaweed oils and sprinkled with nori pesto. The sweetness of the grilled king Prawns is balanced by wasabi butter, which can also be used to dip fries.
Charcoal Fish – Rose Bay
This polished reimagining is Chef Josh Niland’s attempt to get us to consider the endless possibilities of seafood. Chook is not the star of this restaurant, but Murray cod, which has been consciously farmed. It can be grilled in fillets, fried in a hamburger, or rolled up on a crusty roll with stuffing, gravy, and crackling skin made from the bones and offcuts. In a fast-food cheeseburger, yellowfin tuna is a good substitute for beef. It’s the best take-out joint in town.
Cirrus, Barangaroo
The timber dinghy fluttering above your head won’t make you feel like you are in the middle of a storm, but the fresh seafood that parades through the sleek dining room will. With Brent Savage at the helm, this isn’t your standard fish cafe and the chef’s smart-yet-understated style is highlighted through cubes of raw tuna huddling beneath creamy miso with yuzu-kosho, ready to scoop up with tapioca and kombu crisp. The lemony butter sauce is a comforting and lively way to cook squid curls.
Eaton Chinese. Ashfield
This small, discreet neighborhood restaurant may be the solution to the late-night XO Pipi problem Sydneysiders have been experiencing since Golden Century closed down. Eaton’s version features live seafood pulled from the tank and inspected at the table. Then, it is quickly wok-tossed in your choice sauce. You can also choose to spend more on the live seafood selection, such as ginger-shallot lobster.
Fish Butchery in Waterloo
Customers can watch in the middle of industrial Waterloo as chefs prepare a variety of ocean-inspired dishes to take home or eat at their place right away. Sydney’s most famous dish is the audibly crispy fish and chips (or mirror dory or nannygai), but Australia’s finest seafood specials are truly a treat. You can try King George whiting barbecued from Victoria’s Corner Inlet or Murray cod chorizo with chimichurri rolls.
Fish Shop in Bondi
This convivial dining room is located just off Bondi’s main drag and offers more than just fish. Cool-as-ice is a celebration for everything pescatarian. There’s much to love about a bite of AP Bakery sourdough slathered in aioli, mussels, and a bowl of tender calamari lazing around in a pool of aromatic garlic oil. Sibling Fish Market is next door for casual al fresco dining. fishshop.com.au
Margaret Double Bay
Neil Perry manages a huge selection of the best products in the country, all wood-fired, roasted, and then dressed to be the most delicious. Split a steak and get big on seafood: grilled King George with XO butter, grilled King George with hojiblanca olive oils, or tuna tartare with gochujang. The service is impeccable, the menu is long and interesting, and the dining room is softly lit.
Moxhe. Bronte
On the dimly lit table, a little card lists key producers like Steve Feletti, Terry and Nicky Noonan (saffron growers), and Craig Neale (northern NSW miller). This is a quietly stated intention by David Coumont, a Belgian-born chef who runs the wine-lined neighborhood restaurant. He focuses on sustainable seafood and makes frequent visits to the fish markets every morning for inspiration. You can choose from a 4-course (Tide Pool) or an 8-course (Deeper Dive) menu. Ker-splash! moxhe.com.auRen Ishii, Ramsgate:
Ren Ishii. Ramsgate
Luke and Stephanie Phillips own a friendly, modern Japanese restaurant that offers street-side seating and a cocktail bar. Yoshinori Fuchigami is the sushi chef. The pair first met at Rose Bay’s Catalina many years ago. Even the most modern dishes are influenced by his nigiri, which is a first-class dish. For example, Kingfish crudo is tossed with seaweed, nashi pear, and flying-fish Roe in a sharp miso Vinaigrette.
Saint Peter and Paddington
Book now. Josh Niland’s tasting menu featuring Australia’s finest seafood is selling fast. With news that he, Julie will be moving their flagship to Paddington’s Grand National Hotel by early 2023, there are still months to go before you can enjoy the original, intimate location at its peak. Niland’s seven-course dinner will feature Murray-cod liver parfait and King George whiting in champagne vinegar after six years of gill-to-fin cooking. You will also find an extensive a la carte lunch menu with oysters galore.
Scottie’s Newcastle
Since 1970, this institution has served Novocastrians. The corner site has never looked better. Recent interior renovations saw the removal of crab pots and replacement with a beautiful fit-out in dark timber, marble, and neutral colors. The rust-red Bouillabaisse-style soup is a relaxing place to relax and enjoy. It includes mussels, rock cod, and fat king Prawns. Families stop by for fish and chips or crumbed Calamari. Young couples come to dinner to enjoy yuzu margaritas, a delicious little lobster and sambal sandwich, and families drop by during the day.
Valentina, Merimbula
Val’s is commonly known on Merimbula’s promenade and overlooks oyster beds, bobbing vessels, and even the occasional passing pelican squadron. The restaurant is not about the view but has a lovely, muted, curvaceous space providing excellent food. The tremendous fresh snapper tartare is topped with wasabi cream, and lightly picked mussels escabeche are covered in crunchy, smoky “nduja”. This dish is well worth the effort. The majority of the menu’s ingredients are seasonal and come from the nearby cold, clear water.
Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf Woy Woy
Every coastal town should have a fish and chipper, and Woy Woy delivers. You will find a stylish dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows that show ducks and pelicans frolicking in the bushy waters. The extensive menu includes fish tacos with a crispy slaw and chili-ginger sauce, snapper Ceviche, pipis In XO, and mussels in a spicy tomato- and parsley-flecked broth.
XOPP from Haymarket, Golden Century
This bizarre building looks like it’s wrapped in spun sugar, and past and future merge into one. The circular, brightly lit dining room has robot waiters who roll past old-fashioned lazy susans and deliver dishes to tables. There are two types of menus: “Cantonese Classics” and “Modern Twists.” The restaurant’s namesake pipis, famous, world-famous, famous, wok-fried mollusks are featured in the first. They are tossed in thick, garlic-heavy oil and served with crisp noodles to soak up the sauce. Straight-from-the-tank coral trout, snow crabs, and lobsters are plentiful, too.
Yoshii’s Omakase, Barangaroo
The high price of this 10-seater ($350) is well justified if you are looking for the ultimate moment of happiness that a perfectly prepared nigiri can bring. Ryuichi Yoshii’s passion is the pursuit of perfect seafood. His sushi procession – kingfish belly with ume-licked bonito and kombu-marinated baby whiting – is as beautiful as they come.
